by Gina Sheldon
“So, it’s at the Westin at Copley Place. Elegance is priority number one,” I said.
“Of course. What color are you thinking?”
I could see the wheels were already turning in her head on where we could find the perfect dress.
“I have no idea. Yesterday, I helped Kim and Lisa pick out purple and red dresses. So I know I don’t want to do those colors.”
“Okay. Let me think on this while you’re out. We can maybe go shopping tomorrow in the afternoon.”
Right at seven o’clock, the doorbell rang. Addison jumped off her chair and ran from the room before my feet were on the ground. She had the advantage of sweats and socks compared to my tight jeans and almost five-inch heels. I reached down and snagged my leather jacket off the couch as I made my way to the foyer.
“Well, hello there, Luke. I was wondering… what are your intentions toward my baby girl? Her curfew is eleven o’clock. I have a shovel and a big backyard. No one will miss you.” Addison was going to make a great dad someday.
“Addie, seriously? Leave him alone.” Luke just stared at Addison, trying to figure out if she was serious or joking. “Don’t worry, Luke, we don’t have a backyard. You’re safe.”
He let out an exaggerated breath and gave Addison a hug hello.
“Addison, I have the best of intentions. I promise I won’t knock her up tonight,” Luke said, taking a step closer to me and wrapping his arm around my waist.
“Good to know, big guy,” Addison said between laughs.
I observed the scene unfolding in front of me, and laughed at my best friend and boyfriend.
“Lex, you look gorgeous.” His eyes slowly descended, taking in every inch and curve. When he reached my feet, he said, “Girl, can you walk in those things? They’re just shy of stilts.”
“Yes, handsome, I can walk in them. I may beg for a foot massage later, though.” My eyes scanned his body. A sexy pair of dark jeans hugged his muscular thighs, and a crisp baby blue, collared, button down shirt made his eyes look a softer bluer than normal. On top was a brown blazer, making him look sharp and sexy as sin. What took me by surprise were the glasses I hadn’t seen before. The thin wire frames only intensified his sex appeal. He looked good enough to eat.
We said goodnight to Addison and headed out. He led me down the stairs with a hand on the small of my back. The pressure was perfect enough to make me feel desired and protected. Luke was double-parked in front of my building, driving the neighbors crazy, but that was the Boston way. Once we hit the sidewalk, he opened the passenger side door for me. I slid in, but before he closed the door, he bent down into my space. “You take my breath away every single time I see you.” And with that, he shut the door and climbed in the driver side, leaving me stunned with his honesty. I loved that there were no games with him. He told me how he felt.
Once we arrived at the Ritz, Luke handed his keys to the valet. The doorman stepped forward, blew a whistle, and seconds later, a cab pulled up to the curb. I knew the service in buildings like the Ritz was good, but that move was impressive. Luke held the car door open to let me climb in first. Always the gentleman.
“Seaport District, please,” Luke said to the cabbie, and turned to me. “What do you think of going to Legal Test Kitchen? Have you been there before?”
“Legal sounds great.”
Luke drew me close, his arm resting behind my head. I marveled in the instant comfort he provided me. Even though we had been in each other’s company for only a few weeks, I had never felt so safe, calm, and content than I was in his presence.
Luke’s eyes drifted to my lips. I took the opportunity to push up, and captured his with mine. I ran my tongue along the seam, requesting access, and he opened up for me. His hand wrapped around my neck, and his fingers entwined in the hair Addison had carefully curled for me. Luke took the kiss deeper, our tongues dancing. I raised my free hand to his smoothly shaven cheek as I broke our connection.
“We can skip dinner to do this all night.”
“As incredibly tempting as that is, we’re going on this date. I want to wine and dine you. You deserve it.”
“How do you know? Maybe I’m a dirty girl who just wants to fuck your brains out.”
The cab driver looked at me in his rearview mirror as if I was the best thing since sliced bread. I tried to keep the laughter at bay, but failed miserably.
“You know how I know? Because you couldn’t say that with a straight face. I now know you want to fuck my brains out, but that isn’t happening tonight, so you have to curb your undeniable desire for me.” Luke’s lips tipped into a devilish grin, showing his cavernous dimples to tease me. I was happy he couldn’t keep a straight face either.
As we entered the Seaport District, Luke asked the driver to drop us off at LTK. Minutes later, we arrived at the restaurant. Luke paid the driver, took my hand, and laced our fingers together as we entered the stylish restaurant. The Saturday night crowd packed the place, but we didn’t care. Two seats at the bar opened up, and we ordered drinks while we waited for our buzzer to light up. Luke ordered a Tito’s vodka martini up with two olives. Not three, not one, but two. My cranberry and soda was easy.
“Are you running tomorrow morning?” Luke asked, taking a sip of his very full beverage.
“Yes, we’re doing eighteen. Then the rest of the week, I’m going on shorter runs. You going to run with me in the morning?” I asked, knowing his answer already.
“As much as I would love to be unable to walk all week, I think I’ll leave that distance to you and Jeff, since he’s back. You’ve seen me struggle through fifteen.” He shook his head, laughing at himself. “However, I would love to join you for one of your shorter runs during the week. That way, I won’t die trying to keep up.”
Luke made it sound like he was out of shape. Even though I hadn’t seen him without clothes on, I could tell he was built. His spa t-shirt showed off his toned arms, and when he held me, it was easy to feel his rock hard abs and broad, muscular shoulders.
“Deal. What are we going to do about my last few appointments? I have one on Tuesday and Friday.”
“I’m not sure. Part of me wants you to come to my house for them, but that wouldn’t lead to your running muscles being massaged. Other aches would be tended to.” Luke’s exaggerated wink was hilarious. One side of his mouth curled up when he winked like the corner of his lips was connected to his eyelid.
“And that would be a problem, how?” I gave him a cheeky grin.
“You don’t run with your pussy, Lex,” Luke whispered so no one else heard him.
My pussy heard him, though, and begged for what he promised.
“No, I still want you to come to the spa next week. We’ll behave. Today threw me for a loop, but I’ll be better next time. But after the marathon, all bets are off.”
I respected Luke for sticking to the decision he made years ago. Yes, he was bending it for me, for which I was grateful. A man who stuck to his morals and decisions showed professionalism and class, and that was sexy.
“Okay, how about I don’t shave, and wear granny panties? Would that help?”
“I don’t think there’s a single thing you could do to make me not want you.” He placed a soft, chaste kiss on my lips.
Our buzzer sounded, letting us know our table was ready. The hostess led us to a small, two-person setup near the windows. Luke seated me on the cushy banquette, and took the funky metal chair for himself. Chivalrous, too. After he sat, Luke reached across the space to grab my hand, and we looked over the choices. Because the menus were large, one-handed was a challenge for me, but the feel of his palm against mine, the constant connection, was worth the struggle.
Discussing the food options led us to decide on appetizers for dinner. We placed our order with the server, starting with a plate of Wellfleet oysters. And of course, I couldn’t eat at Legal without a cup of their award winning clam chowder.
“So, tell me about your family,” Luke said.
“My sisters and I weren’t always close. I’m pretty sure I beat the crap out of them more than I should have when we were little. We didn’t start hanging out until high school because we argued so much.” His eyes lit up with amusement. “One Sunday, in church, while the preacher was praying, Jess’s arm brushed mine, and I pinched the crap out of her. When she yelped and punched my leg as hard as she could, all these heads popped up to see who dared interrupt the service. Needless to say, my mom grounded me for disturbing prayer time and hurting my poor, helpless sister.” His love for his sisters was written all over his face.
“When Elle was in college, she had some pretty hard stuff to deal with, but she came to me for help.” He glanced over my shoulder, and his expression softened. “The fact she came to me was so humbling, but I’m glad she knew I would be there for her.” His voice cracked with his emotions. “That was a real turning point for us. I would do anything for them. Anything.”
He made me wish I had a big brother to protect me, to fight with me, and for me.
“Yes, and now you’re best friends.” My thumb traced the back of his hand. “I only have Addison. But I’m very close with my mom, too. She was the best when I was growing up.” I smiled, thinking about all the great times we had together. “My house was the hangout for all my friends. We had sleepovers every weekend in my basement.”
“What about your dad? Are you close with him, too?”
My eyes lit up, thinking about my father. “My dad’s great. I’m his princess, and my mom’s his queen. He spoils us rotten.” I hoped someday the man I married worshipped me the way my dad did my mom.
“A princess huh? Sounds pretty accurate.” Luke squeezed my hand. “My parents are still head over heels in love. I want what they have. I want to be married for forty plus years, and still feel the deep connection that was there when we first met. It’s inspiring.”
The idea of Luke and me being together that long made me smile.
“Wow, I couldn’t agree more. I want that, too. My parents still hold hands and cuddle on the couch. When I was younger, it grossed me out, but now I’m just jealous.”
Luke pulled my hand to his lips and gave it a sweet kiss, and my heart warmed with the adoration in his eyes. Just as I was about to ask more questions, our server brought our meal.
As we ate the delicious food, Luke described the guys at The Rub Down, and their crazy shenanigans kept me entertained.
“Why don’t you have any female massage therapists?” Since my first appointment, I had been dying to ask this question.
“Because the women therapists in school were awful to each other. They tore each other down, always bitching and griping.”
My clam chowder slowly disappeared as he talked about the things the female students did to each other. I loved his fake, high-pitched voices, and when he almost hit the waiter with his flailing arms, I choked on my soup.
“Danny and I never understood why they acted that way, but decided we didn’t want that shit in our place.” The words spewing from his mouth may have offended most females, but not me. He was spot on about the cattiness between women.
When he finished his story, he tilted his head to the side, and stared at me for a second before gently swiping the corner of my mouth with his finger.
“You have something right here.” He brought his finger to his mouth and licked off the drop of chowder. I watched his movement like it happened in slow motion. Such a simple gesture should not have had me so turned on that I had to cross my legs a little tighter.
“Thank you.” I picked up my napkin and blotted my mouth. “Have you tried the oysters yet? The little ones are really sweet.” I added some horseradish, a dab of cocktail sauce, and the mignonette to one before offering it to him.
“Not yet. I’m not sure partaking in an aphrodisiac is a wise choice right now. You are drop dead gorgeous, and watching your sweet mouth while you eat has done nothing to help my hard-on.”
“Come on, Luke. One oyster isn’t going to make you want to jump my bones.” I slipped my shoe off under the table, and slid my foot up his calf, teasing him even further.
“Fighting with fire, Lex. Give me that oyster.”
Raising the shell to his parted lips, he grabbed my wrist to steady it. I tilted it and watched the oyster slide into his mouth. Fuck, that was hot. After swallowing the tasty delicacy, he turned my wrist over, baring the sensitive flesh, placed a small kiss on my pulse, and groaned.
“God, I want to devour you,” Luke mumbled as he took a sip of his water.
I smiled at his confession, wanting nothing more than have him do just that.
For a few minutes, we ate in silence, letting the sizzling air around us settle a little bit. However, I kept up my game of footsies.
“Tell me about Dress Me Up. How did you get into it?” Luke asked, bringing us back to safe territory. He captured my foot, and held it against his thigh.
“Addie and I graduated from Mass Art with fashion degrees, but we had no idea what to do with them. I didn’t want to go to New York City, and Boston’s fashion industry isn’t nearly as booming.” I smiled, thinking back to how Dress Me Up came to be. “One night, after a healthy amount of wine, Addison came up with the idea of personal shoppers slash fashion coordinators slash dressing up rich people. Then voilà, a business was born.”
When I talked about my passion for fashion, Luke listened. He didn’t ask to be nice, but because he actually wanted to know. In the past, my boyfriends would be looking around the room, or out the window at the passersby, but not Luke. His attention stayed focused on me, and he made me feel like I was the only person in the room.
I was so engrossed in our conversation, the waiter startled me when he brought the bill and cleared off the empty dishes.
“Do you want to go to my place to hang out? We can order chocolate cake from room service.” Once the server was out of ear’s reach, Luke whispered in my ear. “Maybe make out a little?”
Chills traveled up my spine. “Now that sounds like an excellent plan,” I replied while reaching for my jacket.
We couldn’t get out of there quick enough.
Chapter Seventeen
Alexa
When we arrived at Luke’s place, he ordered room service, while I made myself comfy on his big, luscious couch. The cable knit, ivory throw was the perfect size to snuggle under and get warm. It didn’t matter where I was or if it was ninety degrees out, I curled up in a blanket. The smell of worn-in leather and Luke’s cologne lingered throughout the space. The family pictures on the walls made his house feel like a home. But Luke was the biggest reason I felt relaxed and content. He put me at ease.
Our peaceful conversation carried on over delicious chocolate lava cake. Until…
“Do you feel like you’re ready for the race?”
What a loaded question he threw at me.
“Physically, I feel great. The running I can do.” My voice trailed off, and I focused on the city lights outside his window. As the race grew closer, the feelings gained more and more headspace, and I didn’t want to deal with, much less talk about them.
“Good. I’m glad your body feels great. But,” he gingerly grabbed my chin, bringing my eyes back to his, “what are you not saying?”
Tears welled up, threatening to spill over, and I closed my eyes for a moment. When we went for our first run, we touched on where we were, like our parents talk about where they were when Kennedy was shot, but we never really talked about the bombing itself.
I didn’t want to tell him, to show him my weakness. If I opened myself up, he’d see the fears I refused to share with anyone. Not Addison, not my parents, not Jeff. Maybe if I let the words out, I wouldn’t be a slave to them anymore.
“I’m starting to get anxious,” I stuttered. �
��Both mentally and emotionally.”
“How close were you to the finish line?” Luke asked, knowing exactly where my head was. His fingers caressed my jaw, and I pressed into his hand.
“I was one of the first people stopped at Mass Ave. Less than a mile away. So close.” The first tear trailed a path down my cheek, and I despised it. I wanted to be as strong as the survivors were. As strong as the runners who completed the twenty-six point two miles, crossed the finish line, and then ran another mile and a half to Massachusetts General Hospital to donate blood.
“Wow, you were minutes away.” Luke’s face grew soft, and I could tell he was remembering that day with me.
“I. Was. Terrified. At that last turn, as I headed down the final stretch.” A bitter laugh escaped. “My adrenaline was pumping so hard through my veins that I couldn’t even feel my legs anymore, but at the same time, they hurt like hell.” I sniffed and rubbed my nose on my wrist. “And then to be completely stopped? Hearing sirens all over the city heading to the same place I’d dreamt about, worked to get to for months?” Tears slipped down my cheeks, and I gave up trying to hold them back. Luke moved closer and drew me into his arms.
“But then I get pissed that I have these feelings. What do I have to be upset about?” I looked away to gather myself. “Yeah, I didn’t finish. So fucking what. Innocent people, out for a fun day in our amazing, safe city, cheering on their friends, no longer have their legs. While I’ve been training to run again, they’re trying to learn how to walk on prosthetics. Fuck, three people didn’t even survive the blasts.” My voice grew louder. I hated feeling sorry for myself, but I couldn’t help the overwhelming emotions.
“Shhh, sweetie. That day was horrific. For everyone. Not just the people in the blast zone, but the people sitting in their homes, watching the city we all love get terrorized. For people who were done with the race, enjoying a congratulatory beer with friends down the street. And definitely for people like you so close to the end. Just stopping to tie a shoe or nurse a small cramp was the difference between being a part of the explosion or being stopped. You have every right to your feelings.”